2. Academic Validation
  3. Treatment of reflex sympathetic dystrophy with pamidronate: 29 cases

Treatment of reflex sympathetic dystrophy with pamidronate: 29 cases

  • Rheumatology (Oxford). 2001 Dec;40(12):1394-7. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/40.12.1394.
I Kubalek 1,  O Fain,  J Paries,  A Kettaneh,  M Thomas
Affiliations

Affiliation

  • 1 Service de Médecine Interne, Hôpital Jean Verdier, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris Nord, UPRES Recherche Clinique et Thérapeutique, Avenue du 14 Juillet, 93140 Bondy, France.
PMID: 11752511 DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/40.12.1394
Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of treatment with pamidronate in reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) refractory to previous treatment.

Methods: We studied the response (disappearance of pain and functional improvement) to pamidronate (60 mg/day for 3 days) in 29 patients with RSD refractory to previous treatment for at least 14 days.

Results: On day 45, complete pain disappearance was observed in 86.2% of patients and functional improvement in 70%. The mean delay until the pain disappeared was 20+/-14 days and the delay until functional improvement was observed was 29+/-18 days. The mean delay of functional improvement was shorter in patients with post-traumatic RSD. Multivariate analysis did not reveal any factor predictive of response to treatment. Six (20.7%) patients suffered from side-effects (fever, diarrhoea).

Conclusion: Pamidronate appeared to be effective in the treatment of refractory RSD; however, these results need to be confirmed by a controlled placebo study.

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